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Pamela Kryskow

21 papers in the library · 245 citations · publishing 2021-2026

Papers

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Learnings from a hybrid communities of practice group therapy model to support psilocybin-assisted therapy for patients with a terminal diagnosis

Frontiers in Public Health July 20, 2026 Vivian Wl Tsang, Pamela Kryskow, Crosbie Watler et al.

Background Psilocybin-assisted therapy is continuing to show significant positive effects for palliative cancer patients, both in reducing symptoms and improving one’s sense of hope and meaning. Most research has focused on individual therapy models, limiting access and overlooking potential community-based benefits. Methods This qualitative study describes the results of patients experiencing...

Ritual in Psychedelic Therapy: A Principle-Based Framework

Human Arenas April 25, 2026 Shannon Dames, Grace Scharf, Vivian W. L. Tsang et al.

Ritual is a cultural-psychological technology that facilitates transitions by establishing safety, trust, and shared meaning. In psychedelic therapy, ritual remains underdeveloped despite the heightened vulnerability and suggestibility inherent in non-ordinary states. Without clear frameworks, ritual applications can become prescriptive or ethically problematic—particularly when elements are...

Psilocybin mitigates chronic behavioral and neurobiological alterations in a rat model of recurrent intimate partner violence-related brain injury.

Molecular Psychiatry April 1, 2026 Josh Allen, Mujun Sun, Tamara L Baker et al. 1 citation

Intimate partner violence (IPV) poses a significant medical concern, predominantly affecting females. IPV-related brain injuries (IPV-BI), such as mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and non-fatal strangulation (NFS), sustained during physical attacks are common and often repetitive. Chronic neurobehavioral sequalae from IPV-BI are associated with neuroinflammation and impaired neuroplasticity,...

Psychedelics for treatment of negative symptoms and depressive symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum disorder: A narrative review

Schizophrenia Research March 13, 2026 Michel Sabé, Paul Grof, Nathan Sackett et al. 1 citation

Serotonergic psychedelics are re-emerging as therapeutic candidates across psychiatry, particularly for treatment-resistant depression. Their rapid and sustained antidepressant effects, alongside evidence for neuroplastic, dopaminergic, and glutamatergic modulation, have prompted interest in whether they could address depressive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs)....

Barriers and Access to Care for Firefighters with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Seeking Ketamine Assisted Therapy: a qualitative study.

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine February 2, 2026 Vivian Wl Tsang, Tavneet Walia, Katherine Sattler et al. 1 citation

Firefighters are exposed to a disproportionately high number of traumatic incidents and, thus, display elevated rates of trauma-related mental health disorders, with the reported average PTSD prevalence being 7.3% in firefighters vs 1.3-3.5% in the general populationOftentimes, conventional treatments demonstrate limited efficacy. Ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT) has recently arisen with...

Indigenous Knowledge Systems & Psychedelic Science: Towards Ethical and Reciprocal Collaboration.

Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) January 30, 2026 Veronica Magar, Marlena Robbins, Óscar Martín López Fernández Lobo Blanco et al. 1 citation

Indigenous Peoples have cultivated and protected natural psychoactive medicines through ceremony, kinship, and spiritual responsibility across generations, yet their long-standing contributions have often been marginalized through extractive research, commercialization, and policy exclusion. It is Indigenous communities that have stewarded and gained expertise working with psychoactive...

Improving access to psilocybin-assisted therapy: barriers, challenges, and recommendations

Frontiers in Public Health January 29, 2026 Vivian W. L. Tsang, Camille Roney, Pamela Kryskow et al.

Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) is an emerging intervention that combines the administration of psilocybin with structured psychological support to address profound psychological, emotional, and existential distress. Central to this model is the recognition that many forms of suffering-particularly at end of life-are relational in nature and require relational forms of healing. It is our...

The effect of the Apollo Neuro device on anxiety among participants who underwent ketamine assisted therapy.

Journal of Psychiatric Research November 1, 2025 Vivian W. L. Tsang, Brendan Tao, Raimey Olthuis et al.

The Apollo wearable device (wrist or ankle) is an investigational device which provides touch therapy with silent vibrations that may help individuals reduce the symptoms of stress such as difficulty breathing, sleeping or focusing on tasks. Positive feedback from a mental health treatment program that uses ketamine-assisted therapy as a treatment adjunct inspired researchers to assess the...

Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Outcomes for First Responders With Comorbid Mental Health Diagnoses

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine October 17, 2025 Vivian W. L. Tsang, Megan Kennedy, Tarun Walia et al. 1 citation

OBJECTIVE: Many first responders deal with mental health challenges due to significant work-related stress. Ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT) has been shown to alleviate the symptoms and improve the lives of those living with PTSD. This qualitative case study explores the impacts of KAT on the firefighters beyond the initial alleviation of their PTSD symptoms. METHODS: Six firefighters who were...

Daily self-assessment within a regimen of microdosing indicates enhanced psychological functioning on microdosing days relative to non-microdosing days.

Psychopharmacology October 11, 2025 Michelle St Pierre, Elena Argento, Jordyn Cates et al.

Repeated self-administration of small doses of psychedelics, known as microdosing, has been associated with perceived improvements in psychological functioning. However, few studies have examined effects at the daily level. Drawing on data from a naturalistic, prospective, international survey of adults who microdose (N = 1435), we assessed self-reported within-person changes between...

A clinical protocol for group-based ketamine-assisted therapy in a community of practice: the Roots To Thrive model

Frontiers in Psychiatry September 22, 2025 Shannon Dames, Pamela Kryskow, Vivian W. L. Tsang et al. 3 citations

RTT-KaT offers a structured, scalable, evidence-informed, and culturally responsive model that bridges clinical safety with both Western and Indigenous knowledge systems. A longitudinal follow-up study is currently underway to evaluate long-term impact and guide future implementations.

The Effect of Ketamine-Assisted Group Therapy on Treatment-Resistant Mental Health Conditions in Firefighters: A Prospective Observational Case Series.

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine June 1, 2025 Vivian Wl Tsang, Michelle Cq Lin, Cassandra M Choles et al. 4 citations

Firefighters display elevated risk for diagnoses of mental health illnesses. Psychedelic-assisted therapies show promise in the treatment of clinically challenging conditions. This observational case series analyzed data from firefighters with mental health diagnoses who participated in a 12-week ketamine-assisted group therapy treatment plan. Questionnaire scores (Generalized Anxiety Disorder...

“The mushroom was more alive and vibrant”: Patient reports of synthetic versus organic forms of psilocybin

Journal of Psychedelic Studies October 29, 2024 Pamela Kryskow, Paul Stamets, Joseph T. la Torre et al. 4 citations

Abstract Interest in psychedelic research in the West is surging, however, clinical trials have almost exclusively studied synthetic compounds such as MDMA, ketamine, DMT, LSD, ibogaine, and psilocybin. To date, few clinical trials have utilized whole mushroom/plant material like Psilocybe mushrooms, Iboga, or Ayahuasca. Individuals participating in the Roots To Thrive Psilocybin-Assisted...

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Training: An Argument in Support of Firsthand Experience of Nonordinary States of Consciousness in the Development of Competence.

Psychedelic Med (New Rochelle) September 4, 2024 Shannon Dames, Crosbie Watler, Pamela Kryskow et al. 4 citations

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Training: An Argument in Support of Firsthand Experience of Nonordinary States of Consciousness in the Development of Competence.

Potential analgesic effects of psychedelics on select chronic pain conditions: A survey study

European Journal of Pain August 20, 2023 Mauro Cavarra, Amanda Feilding, Pamela Kryskow et al. 28 citations

Abstract Background Chronic pain is a major cause of suffering and disability and is often associated with psychiatric complications. Current treatments carry the risk of severe side effects and may lead to limited or no relief at all in a relevant portion of this patient population. Preliminary evidence suggests that classical psychedelics (e.g. LSD and psilocybin) may have analgesic effects...

Author Correction: Psilocybin microdosers demonstrate greater observed improvements in mood and mental health at one month relative to non-microdosing controls.

Sci Rep July 28, 2022 Joseph M. Rootman, Maggie Kiraga, Pamela Kryskow et al. 2 citations

Author Correction: Psilocybin microdosers demonstrate greater observed improvements in mood and mental health at one month relative to non-microdosing controls.

Psilocybin microdosers demonstrate greater observed improvements in mood and mental health at one month relative to non-microdosing controls

Scientific Reports June 30, 2022 Joseph M. Rootman, Maggie Kiraga, Pamela Kryskow et al. 53 citations

Abstract Psilocybin microdosing involves repeated self-administration of mushrooms containing psilocybin at doses small enough to not impact regular functioning. Microdose practices are diverse and include combining psilocybin with substances such as lion’s mane mushrooms (Hericium erinaceus; HE) and niacin (vitamin-B3). Public uptake of microdosing has outpaced evidence, mandating further...

A Cohort-Based Case Report: The Impact of Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Embedded in a Community of Practice Framework for Healthcare Providers With PTSD and Depression

Frontiers in Psychiatry January 12, 2022 Shannon Dames, Pamela Kryskow, Crosbie Watler 38 citations

Amid an international pandemic and a worsening mental health crisis, ketamine-assisted therapy is emerging as a promising solution for those deemed “treatment resistant.” Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are on the rise, with accelerating direct (e.g., burden of suffering) and indirect (e.g., disability/role impairment and impact on family) costs. Psychedelic-assisted...

Corrigendum: A cohort-based case report: The impact of ketamine-assisted therapy embedded in a community of practice framework for healthcare providers with PTSD and depression.

Frontiers in Psychiatry 2022 Shannon Dames, Pamela Kryskow, Crosbie Watler correction

Corrigendum: A Cohort-Based Case Report: The Impact of Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Embedded in a Community of Practice Framework for Healthcare Providers with PTSD and DepressionError in Figure/TableIn the published article, there was an error in Figure 2 as published. The PTSD label on the legend that is imbedded in the figure was on the legend component of the figure was posted on the anxiety...

Adults who microdose psychedelics report health related motivations and lower levels of anxiety and depression compared to non-microdosers

Scientific Reports November 18, 2021 Joseph M. Rootman, Pamela Kryskow, Kalin Harvey et al. 78 citations

Abstract The use of psychedelic substances at sub-sensorium ‘ microdoses’, has gained popular academic interest for reported positive effects on wellness and cognition. The present study describes microdosing practices, motivations and mental health among a sample of self-selected microdosers ( n = 4050) and non-microdosers ( n = 4653) via a mobile application. Psilocybin was the most commonly...